Cell Phones: Is It Safe for My Kid to Get One?

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Cell
phones and smartphones are constant companions for most adults and a constant
fascination for many kids.

It
isn’t hard for many children to see how cool it is to have the power to do so
many things, right in their pocket. If your child is asking for a cell phone
(and asking…and asking), you may be questioning, “Is it safe for kids to have
cell phones?”

Here
are some cautions to consider before adding your child to your family plan.

Cancer
Concerns

Fear
that cell phones may cause cancer rises up every few years. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) website explains that cell phones emit
nonionizing radiation, a low-energy form of radiation that hasn’t been definitively
shown to increase cancer risk.

The
NCI gives an overview of several other organizations’ findings that research,
so far, doesn’t show any conclusive link between cell phone use and cancers,
even for kids.

Protect Your
Child’s Health

If
you want your child to have a phone but want to lessen any possible risk,
experts recommend limiting your child’s cell phone use and requiring your child
to use hands-free devices instead of putting the phone directly to their ear.

Also,
because cell phones emit heat, adults and children both should keep cell phones
in a backpack, purse, or other holder, and not in a pocket.

Driving
Concerns

If
your child is a driver, you’re probably already pretty nervous about their time
behind the wheel.

According
to AAA, a nonprofit organization for drivers, teen drivers have the highest
rate of crashes in the United States. A 2015 study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that distractions, from
passengers and cell phones, were the top causes of teen accidents.

Protect Your
Child on the Road

AAA’s teen driving website has interactive information and
resources to help parents promote safer teen driving, including a safety pledge
for teens to sign.

The
Nemours Foundation, a nonprofit children’s health organization, has
useful tips for
teens who find themselves as passengers in a car with
a driver who is using a phone.

There
are a number of apps for iOS and Android that you can put on your child’s phone
that limit their ability to use the phone while in a vehicle. Consumer Reports,
the nonprofit consumer group, tested Verizon’s Safely Go, Sprint’s Drive First, and AT&T’s Drive Mode apps, and said all worked well.

Focus
Concerns

Cell
phones can be a distraction that is hard for anyone to resist, including
adults. Researchers at Florida State University found that even silent, vibrating
notifications from your phone can interrupt your ability to focus on the task
at hand.

Teachers
have complained about cell phones for years and, as a result, some schools
don’t allow cell phones in the classroom and others allow them only on a
limited basis. In New York City, students sometimes have to pay to check their
phone while they are at school.

Protect Your
Child’s Mind

Check
out your school system’s website, or call the principal of your child’s school,
before you send the cell in your child’s backpack. Talk to your child about why
paying attention in class is important and when they can use their phones
without being disrespectful. You might even consider not allowing them to have
their phone at school, to avoid the temptations it offers.

At
home, consider limiting cell phone use to certain hours of the day, only after
homework is done, or only in certain rooms of the house. As a family, you may
want to create an agreement that everyone will put down their phones for some
amount of time each day and interact with each other, face-to-face.

If you decide to get your child a cell phone, think about keeping it out of the bedroom at bedtime. You may also want to consider limiting use in the hour before you want your child to be asleep. There is a growing body of evidence showing a strong association between nighttime technology use and insomnia and daytime sleepiness.

Dr. Steiner-Adair interviewed
more than a thousand children and found that they are just as frustrated by
their parents’ obsessive use of technology as parents are with their kids. She
offers motivation for putting down the devices and tips for how to make it a
habit.

Concerns
About Personal Safety

Cell
phones offer access to the Internet and social media and both offer your child
access to people around the world. Some kids find creative outlets, other kids
with similar interests, and support when they are feeling lonely.

Unfortunately,
some kids learn there are people out there who will take advantage of them.
Predators come in many different packages, from peers who bully each other into
sharing sexually explicit photos, to adults who prey on naïve children, to
radical groups looking for new recruits.

Protect Your
Child’s Body and Reputation

The
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that, first and foremost,
you learn how to use social media yourself. You will also have to take a deep breath and
talk to your child openly about the risks of the Internet and social media.

Explain
to your child that some people use the Internet for make-believe, pretending to
be friendly or even pretending to be teens. Make sure your child knows they
should only give specific information out online if they know the person they
are speaking to in the offline world as well. And tell them to never, ever send
anyone personal photos that they wouldn’t want you to see.

Be
clear about the long-term nature of information on the Internet and remind them
that a mean comment they make about a friend on Facebook will still be there in
10 years. Additionally, make sure you and your kids understand that
“information” isn’t just what we purposely write on someone’s Instagram photo.
We also leave behind all sorts of digital breadcrumbs, like our location or credit
card numbers, so it’s best to make caution your guide.

The Takeaway

Research
has not shown any direct link between cell phones and cancer risks. However,
researchers have found a link between cell phones, distracted driving, and
accidents caused by teen drivers.

The
impact of cell phones on anyone’s ability to concentrate is something to
consider before allowing your child to take a phone to school. As always with
the Internet and social media, safety online is just as important as safety
offline. Be sure to talk to your children honestly about how to own a phone
safely, assess whether they are mature enough to understand the risks, and stay
on top of what they are doing.